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Entree

Pulled Chipotle Beer Chicken Sliders

Pulled Chipotle Beer Chicken Sliders

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I’ve made a decision.

I need to clear the emotional cache from this past week. I need to a little distance from reality and my incessant need to over-think. I need a break and a beer and I’ve decided that a trip to Bend, Oregon can fix what ails me right now. Or at least numb it and distract me enough to remind me how big the world is.

I’ve even booked a place that has a kitchen, because I’ve already told you about my need to bake bread when I’m sad, and my over excitement for the sourdough starter I made (yes, I’m contemplating bringing it with me like a cat in a carrier). I’m leaving in 11 days and I’m going to update you, like I did when I was here. Because even if you can’t blow off Thanksgiving to road trip and drink beer, I still want you along for the ride.

I also made you some sliders, because football is forever and we need food for that, these just take 20 minutes.

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Pulled Chipotle Beer Chicken Sliders

Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 chipotle chilies in adobo chopped
  • 2 tablespoons adobo sauce
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 cup stout
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 6 boneless 1.5 lbs, skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ¼ cup chopped green onion or cilantro
  • 12 slider buns

Instructions
 

  • Add the garlic, chipotles, adobo sauce, honey, tomato paste, beer, chicken broth and cornstarch in a blender, blend until smooth.
  • Sprinkle the chicken on all sides with salt and pepper.
  • Heat the olive oil in a pan over high heat, sear the chicken on both sides.
  • Reduce heat to medium, pour the sauce over the chicken. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened, 6-8 minutes.
  • Remove from heat, shred the chicken using two forks, toss in the sauce.
  • Fill the slider buns with chicken, sprinkle with chopped green onions (or cilantro).

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Chili Brown Sugar Oven Beer Can Chicken

Chili Brown Sugar Oven Beer Can Chicken

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A few months ago I sat at a table with a mess of brewers and beer people. The conversation turned to the water shortage, and farming practices. The debate went back and forth, what we can do, what we need to be careful of, and even how to move to a zero waste facility. The inspiring take away from this roundtable conversation was that although the ideas varied, the feelings of wanting to move towards sustainability and environmental responsibility was unanimous.

The heart and soul of good beer has never been ruled by a traditional bottom line. The concerns are quality, taste, community, and responsibility. If it costs more, then that’s just how it has to be.

Craft beer, as we know it today, is still in its infancy. With a constant stream of articles showing a struggling industry, a bubble on the verge of bursting, the beer business is still pushing forward with sustainability and responsible practices. There isn’t another industry that puts those needs in such a priority, even in the midst of a difficult phase.

 

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Long Root Ale —a collaboration between HUB and Patagonia— is exciting evidence of the soul of this movement. It’s made with Kernza, an ancient grain that few have even heard of, but as it turns out, makes great beer. It also requires much less water and land, without the need for pesticides, and it assists in the reduction of land erosion. All that and a flavor that rests somewhere between wheat and rye. If that wasn’t enough, a portion of the proceeds goes towards environmental issues.

Just in case you needed a good reason to drink great beer.

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Chili Brown Sugar Oven Beer Can Chicken

Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • Whole roasting chicken 5-6 lbs
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 can of beer

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 450, lowering the rack to the bottom most position (all other racks may need to be removed for space).
  • Rinse the chicken inside and out. Dry very well with paper towels until all the moisture is gone.
  • Sprinkle the inside cavity with 1 tablespoon salt.
  • In a small bowl stir together the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, chili powder, onion powder and baking powder (this will help crisp the skin).
  • Rub the outside of the chicken with the spice mixture.
  • Pour about ¼ of a cup of beer out of the can (or drink it). Place the can on a flat surface.
  • Lower the chicken down onto the can until the can is well inside the chicken cavity. Set the chicken and can upright (use the two legs and the can to create a tripod) in a baking dish or rimmed baking sheet. Gently transfer to the oven. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165F on a meat thermometer.

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Slow Cooker Beer Caramelized Onion Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Slow Cooker Beer Caramelized Onion Grilled Cheese Sandwiches slow-cooker-beer-caramelized-onion-grilled-cheese3

There are things you learn when you decide to chase the knowledge of an entire industry down an ever-expanding rabbit hole. You learn the lingo; at first just to keep up in conversation and translate what is being said. Then you learn it enough to speak intelligently about it, with terms like "lactobacillus," "back sweetened," and "TTB."

You learn that in this world, "Micheal Jackson" is a famous beer author, not a pop star and you only make that mistake once. You learn the major players, the awards, and who’s winning them. Eventually, you find your place. Or you fight to make one for yourself because there was previously no void for you until you created one.

The thing that takes some getting used to isn’t so much the void you’ve created in this world, it’s the one that has been created in you. It’s how you spend the weekend chasing down the beer you’ve only just read about, not for anything other than to quench your own curiosity. You find you’ve spent two hours googling "kettle souring" and figuring out where and when it started. You wake up in the middle of the night with ideas, and spend your vacation looking for breweries no one has ever heard about. Not because it helps your career, or because you need it for work, but because you want to. Because the industry you tried to make your job became your hobby and your most fascinating interest.

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You want to figure out if you can make caramelized onions in a slow cooker because that just seems like it makes sense, but you can’t do it without immediately wanting to add beer. Because craft beer is always an app open in your brain that is running somewhere in the background. because it’s more than just beer, it’s a community, a knowledge base, an art and you can’t stop thinking about it.

Or maybe that’s just me.

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I used Lagunitas WTF for these onions. It also pairs really well with this little sandwich. Perfect for a football game, even if you might have to share.

Slow Cooker Beer Caramelized Onion Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

For the Onions

  • 2 sweet white onions Walla Walla, Maui, Vidalia
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar
  • ½ cup beer*
  • 1 teaspoon salt

For the Sandwiches

  • 1 French baguette sliced on the bias
  • 8 oz sharp cheddar sliced
  • 4 oz goat cheese
  • Butter for cooking

Instructions
 

  • Thinly slice the onions.
  • Add the onions, butter, brown sugar, beer and salt to a slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or until soft and dark. Stir occasionally, if possible.
  • Use the onions immediately, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
  • Butter one side of each slice of bread. Add a few slices of cheese to the non-buttered side, top with a tablespoon or two of the caramelized onions, a few teaspoons of goat cheese, then more slices of cheddar. Top with another slice of bread, buttered side out.
  • Cook in a pan over medium high heat until cheese has melted and butter is golden brown. Slice and serve immediately.

Notes

Use a darker, malty beer. A brown ale, stout, porter or Belgian ale will work really well.

I use this slow cooker (affiliate link).

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Porter Provolone Meatball Subs

Porter Provolone Meatball Subs

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 "I can’t believe you’re not here this weekend," The bartender at Cowiche Canyon in Yakima, Washington is shaming me for arriving —and leaving—just days before the biggest celebration of beer that this part of the world has to offer.

I don’t blame her, really. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to come to the site of Fresh Hop Fest, to a city in a pre-party-buzz frenzy and leave before the main event.

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 But for once, I wasn’t there for the beer. The beer, which will be a celebration of the flicker of time that brewers are able to use fresh-from-the-bine-hops, isn’t why I came.

I came for the hops. I came to witness the harvest first hand. I came to see these beautiful little flowers, the rock star beer ingredient, go from field to brew. Harvest was completed mere hours after my arrival, days before the Fresh Hop Fest party-goers will arrive, harvest is over before they land in town. Every hop bine cut down, every hop flower resting peacefully in wait for it’s final fermentable destination.

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 It was an experience I was grateful to witness, something that few beer lovers get to see first hand. It was worth skipping this years festivities in favor of what so few people are able to witness. It’s an experience I’ll tell you more about later, but for now I made you a sandwich.

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For now, we can all roam our respective cities looking for fresh hop beers at our tap rooms, enjoying the view from afar.

But next year, it’ll be different. Next year I already have plans to return for the Festival, take part, drink the best that Yakima has to offer and tell you all about it.

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Porter Provolone Meatball Subs

To make this as an appetizer, substitute the 4 hoagie rolls with 12 slider buns.
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2.5 lbs ground pork
  • ¼ cup 28g breadcrumbs
  • 1 teaspoon 0.5g dried basil
  • ½ teaspoon 0.25g dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon 3g salt
  • 2 teaspoon 6g garlic powder, divided
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup 140g chopped white onions
  • 2 tablespoons 28g olive oil
  • ½ cup 115mLporter or stout beer
  • ¼ cup tomato paste
  • 14.5 wt oz crushed tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon 3g black pepper
  • 4 hoagie rolls
  • 8 slices provolone cheese

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl add the pork breadcrumbs, basil, oregano, salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder (reserve the other teaspoon), and egg. Mix with your hands until just combined.
  • Cover a plate with plastic wrap. Use a cookie scoop to make balls just smaller than golf balls. Place on the prepared plate. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes (this will help the meatballs retain shape during cooking).
  • Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the onions, cooking until onions have softened and started to brown, about 8 minutes.
  • Remove the onions from the pan, increase heat to high. Add the meatballs, pulling the pan back and forth to roll the meatballs around the pan until lightly browned.
  • Pour in the beer, then add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, black pepper, remaining 1 teaspoon garlic powder and the onions. Stir gently.
  • Reduce heat to medium, cover and allow to simmer until the meatballs are cooked through. Salt sauce to taste. *
  • Preheat the broiler. Slice the hoagie rolls and add the meatballs and sauce to the rolls. Place on a baking sheet. Top with two slices of cheese per sandwich.
  • Broil until the cheese is melted. Serve immediately.

Notes

*to make in advance, finish cooking the meatballs, then transfer to a storage container. Store in the fridge for up to three days. High slightly, add to hoagie rolls, top with cheese and broil until cheese is melted.

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Hops are gorgeous.

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Mac and Beer Cheese Brats with Beer Caramelized Onions

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I just use it as an excuse.

The truth is, I only use the cultural intrigue over Oktoberfest as an excuse to do things like this. Because in any reasonable persons mind, this is a bit too far. One too many. Coco Chanel is telling me to take something off before I leave the house with these things. In a way, I did. I wanted to add crumbled bacon to the top. And jalapeños, although I’ll even admit that would be one too many. Just a bit too far, pushed too far over the edge for enjoyment.

In reality, there are two ways to look at these: extreme and ridiculous displays of overt glutton lust, OR as a concerted effort in indulgence moderation. I’ll choose the later. And I’ll choose a beer, and I may choose to have two.

Want more? Join me on Instagram 

Mac and Beer Cheese Brats with Beer Caramelized Onions

Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 sweet white onion sliced
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 cup beer Belgian ale, pale ale, red ale
  • 6 raw bratwurst
  • 12 ounces beer pilsner, pale ale, or wheat beer
  • 6 buns split
  • 2 cups Mac n Cheese recipe link below

Instructions
 

  • In a pot over medium heat melt the butter (not too hot or the onions will burn before they caramelize).
  • Add the onions, cooking until they soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the brown sugar.
  • Pour in the beer and allow to cook until the onions are dark brown and the beer is mostly gone, about 45 minutes to one hour. Remove from heat, set aside.
  • Add the brats to a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the beer, bringing to a low simmer. Cook over medium heat until the brats are cooked through, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat.
  • Add the brats to a pre-heated grill or grill pan until grill marks appear, about 3 minutes per side.
  • Add the brats to the buns, top with caramelized onions and mac n cheese. Serve immediately.
  • *if making in advance, store all elements separately. Re-heat and assemble right before serving.

Stove Top Sriracha Beer Mac N Cheese Recipe 

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Loaded Beer and Bacon Corn Chowder

Loaded Beer and Bacon Corn Chowder

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Don’t give me that look.

I am fully aware that in most parts of the world, it’s still summer. There is still frolicking in flip-flops and water activities to be done in the two weeks before fall officially sets in. But where I live, the rain-soaked-90’s-music-mecca, I already have the heater on and the wellies out.

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Soup is my consolation prize for rainy days in early September. To be honest, that’s not the entire truth. I like it more than I thought I would, more than I even wanted to. The Los Angeles girl who dreaded moving here is shocked at how much I like the weather. Officially, I miss California. That’s the bi-line when I talk about how much I love Seattle. I do harbor a love for the rainy days that punctuate an otherwise sunny week in August. I’m in awe of the fall, the drizzly days, the morning mist, the leaves changing color by the hour. It’s magical.

If I’m being honest, this soup is less of a consolation for a lack of sun, and more of a celebration of the next season coming and how it’s forced me into a love for the Pacific Northwest weather.

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Loaded Beer and Bacon Corn Chowder

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • ½ lbs sliced bacon
  • ½ white onions chopped
  • ½ cup 55g peeled and chopped carrots
  • 1 cup 8oz pilsner beer (or summer ale, wheat beer)
  • 3 ears of corn kernels
  • 1 large 390g garnet sweet potato, peeled and diced
  • 2 cups 16oz chicken broth
  • ½ cup 100mL half & half
  • 1 teaspoon 4g garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon 4g chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon 6g salt
  • ½ teaspoon 1g smoked paprika
  • 4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
  • 5 green onions chopped
  • 1 jalapeno diced

Instructions
 

  • Cook the bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until crispy.
  • Remove from pan, pour off all the bacon grease except 2 tablespoons.
  • Once the bacon has cooled, chop and set aside.
  • Add the onions and carrots, cook until softened and starting to caramelize, about ten minutes.
  • Add the beer, scraping to deglaze the bottom of the pot.
  • Add the corn (reserve one cup of kernels for the end), sweet potatoes, and broth. Bring to a gentle simmer, cooking until the sweet potatoes are fork tender.
  • Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth. Stir in the half and half, remaining corn, garlic powder, chili powder, salt and smoked paprika. Stir over medium heat until warmed. Adjust spices to taste.
  • Ladle into bowls, top with cheddar, green onions, chopped bacon, and jalapenos.

 

Jalapeño Honey Grilled Beer Chicken

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I had a camera in my face and a man four-inches shorter than me asking questions he should know the answers to.

This is mid-day TV, I suppose. This is a cooking segment on a Los Angeles NBC station. This is a person unable to let a millisecond of silence creep across your screen. Your ears must be punctured with words, even if they are odd and out of place.

I’d been making a chipotle beer cheese sauce, a blender version that takes only the few seconds TV cooking can tolerate without a pay off, and I mentioned that alcohol intensifies heat. The higher ABV a beer is, the hotter it will make that pepper you put in your sauce. Add a jalapeño to some vodka and it will exploit every inch of capsaicin it contains in just mere minutes. It was a warning, really. If you don’t want a screaming hot sauce, steer away from the 13% triple IPA monsters and towards the 4% session beers.

A slight pause to pour the sauce into a bowl, no more than a full second and he panicked. "So….what does "intensify" mean?" The second he said it, I could see a flash of regret in his eyes and a plea for me to pick up the ball. He could have asked about ABV, or about local beers that would work best. But instead he asked me to define a word like we were in the middle of a really heated spelling bee.

I can no longer talk about alcohol intensifying heat without thinking about him and his request to define the word rather than explain the idea. It is true, the higher the alcohol content, the spicier it will make your peppers. This can be great if your like your dishes with a kick. It can be assaulting if your pepper is already hotter than you’d expected. Either way, it something to keep in mind.

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Jalapeño Honey Grilled Beer Chicken

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • ½ cup 125g stout or porter beer
  • ¼ cup 70g balsamic vinegar
  • ¼ cup 70g sodium soy sauce
  • ¼ cup 90g honey
  • 1 teaspoon 4g garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon 4g onion powder
  • 1 lbs chicken thighs cut into cubes
  • 2 jalapenos sliced

Instructions
 

  • In a medium bowl whisk together the beer, balsamic, soy, honey, garlic powder, and, onion powder.
  • Add the chicken and jalapenos, stir to coat.
  • Cover and refrigerate for one hour and up to 12.
  • Thread chicken and jalapenos onto heat safe skewers.
  • Grill until chicken is cooked through, about 4 minutes per side.
  • Serve warm.
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Beer Battered Cod Po’ Boy Sliders

Beer Battered Cod Po’ Boy Sliders

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Island beer feels different.

The patio is always full of people who don’t just know the beer, they know the story. They know the owners, the jobs they held before the lure of the frustration of brewing on a tiny system in the middle of an ocean pulled them into an uncommon life. The beer is always brewed on a system that looks to be just a tick bigger than a home brew system, and it’s running around the clock.

This weekend, on a small island, I stumbled upon Island beer. True to form, the patio was full of the people who run the line between patron and family. The system was on display behind the counter, in a stage between cleaning and brewing, and the beer was beautiful. Earlier this year I was on a tiny Island in the caribbean and found the same sort of beer-island-family that welcomes you in, serves you beer and wants to know your story.

Island beer is different. It doesn’t want to take over the world. It doesn’t seek a buy-out. It doesn’t concern itself with mass distribution. It’s a bit like life on the island. There is always a story of hard it was the get even that small system onto the island, a bigger one is just a far reaching fantasy. Island beer wants to be there for the locals, a backdrop to the stories they tell and the life they lead. It’s consistent, and memorable. It’s worth seeking out, pulling up a seat in the tap room and asking the owners to tell you about how they got started. You might find yourself being treated like part of the family before the end of the night.

Next time you’re on an island, look for the beer. Then find out the story.

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Beer Battered Cod Po’ Boy Sliders

Servings 12 -14 sliders

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lbs cod or similar white fish
  • 1 ½ teaspoon salt 9g
  • ½ cup 105g buttermilk
  • 1 cup 95g pale ale or pilsner
  • ½ cup 95g fine corn meal
  • ½ cup 60g flour
  • 2 teaspoon 6g Creole seasoning
  • oil for frying canola, safflower, or peanut work well
  • 1 cup 240g sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon 15g sriracha red chili sauce
  • 1 long French baguette cut into 3 inch slices, split to resemble buns
  • 2 cups baby arugula
  • 2 large tomatoes sliced

Instructions
 

  • Cut the fish into 1-inch strips, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt.
  • In a medium bowl stir together the buttermilk and beer. Add the fish to the bowl, making sure all fish is submerged. Allow to sit for ten minutes while you prep the dredge.
  • In a separate bowl stir together the cornmeal, flour, creole seasoning, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt.
  • Add 3 to 4 inches of oil in a pot. Clip a deep fry thermometer onto the side. Heat the oil to 350F, adjusting heat to maintain that temperature.
  • A few at a time, remove the fish strips from the buttermilk, allowing the excess to drip off. Add fish to the cornmeal dredge, tossing until well coated. Add to the oil, frying until golden, about 4 minutes. Remove from oil and allow to drain on a wire rack.
  • In a small bowl stir together the sour cream, and sriracha.
  • Spread the sour cream on the insides of the sliced baguette. Fill with a few pieces of fish, arugula and sliced tomato. Serve immediately.

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Street Fair Grilled Beer Chicken

Street Fair Grilled Beer Chicken

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There is a street fair in LA that I used to frequent, with chicken the smells so incredible it will haunt your dreams. I’d rush past the booths of produce, handmade ceramic mugs, the guy trying to get me to vote for his City Council pick, the face painting lady, just to be near to the lady grilling the chicken.

Sophia was always with me, as polite and charming as a bulldog could possibly be. She wasn’t the kind to bark (even when she probably should have), and she never once jumped up where she wasn’t supposed to. She’d run up to her intended target, sit her chubby body down right in front, and lift a paw to get attention. It was a genius move. Whatever she wanted she got. Head pets, food scraps, lavish praise. But the chicken lady was her crowd, and she worked it. She’d run up to the booth, sit down right in the front, and gently scratch the vinyl sign covering the bottom of the booth. Chicken Lady would squeal that "her dog" was back. She’d load up a plate of chicken (probably too full), and rush to feed Sophia and pet her head.

I, of course, had to order some. I’d convince myself it was as a way to thank her for feeding my dog better food than most the world eats, but really it was because I’d jones like an addict for what she was peddling.

Lately, I’ve been consumed with puppy fever. Sophia’s been gone a while, and I need another furry, fat, beast in my life. So I decided to make our chicken and stalk all the bulldog rescue sites in the Pacific Northwest. It’s a legit way to spend the afternoon. At least until I can find another buddy to visit street fairs with me and beg for chicken.

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Street Fair Grilled Beer Chicken

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 lbs chicken thighs boneless, skinless
  • 2 tbs kosher salt
  • 12 ounces wheat beer
  • 1 3g teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon 3g onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon 3g garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon 0.5g dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon 6gsalt
  • ½ teaspoon 3g black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon 2g chili powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoon 6g brown sugar

Instructions
 

  • Add the chicken to a bowl or baking dish. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons salt. Pour the beer over the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for two hours and up to 12 hours.
  • Preheat the grill.
  • Remove the chicken from the brine. Rinse and pat dry.
  • Add to a plate, sprinkle on all sides with the spice mixture.
  • Grill over medium high heat until cooked through, about 4 minutes per side.

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Beer Chili Party Dogs

Beer Chili Party Dogs

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I had a brief 3-year stint as a vegetarian, a decision that made my cooking both better and impossible, but I ultimately  wasn’t able to commit. Rules have never really been for me, and I’m an all-in, or all-out type of person.

It started when my parents decided to move us all (they had eight daughters, choke on that), from an idyllic central California beach town, to a pig farm in Eastern-Washington-Lunch-Meat-USA. For a handful of years, we played farm, raised pigs, grew alfalfa, bucked hay, listen to a lot of George Strait, and tried not to die. I moved back to California the second I was able, missing my own High School graduation to get back to Los Angeles as quickly as my Ford Bronco would take me.

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I’m going to spare you the dirty details of why, exactly, those years on the farm inspired a meat-free existence but I will tell you how it ended: with a chili cheese dog. I love the food I ate when I was focusing on produce, but I hated the idea that there was anything off limits. I was devoted to learning as much as I could about cooking and I needed to be able to work with all ingredients in order to learn as much as possible. I decided, on a drive through Burbank one day, that I was done. I wasn’t done with how much I love veg food, I was done with having rules on what I ate. I didn’t tip-toe back into the meat pool. I jumped into the deep end with a chili cheese dog from Chili Johns. It was fantastic.

Although the farm years didn’t stick, I did take away a valuable lesson about hot dogs: always buy kosher. ALWAYS. A few days after the first pigs went from pen to slaughter house I happened to answer a call from the local butcher. He asked me if we wanted hot dogs. Being 12-years-old, I had no idea what he meant, (why wouldn’t we?) and unfortunately, he explained it to me. The gist (look away if you really want to be spared the dirty details), he offered to "hose out the bottom of the slaughterhouse and put it in casings." This is when I learned the truth about what exactly that childhood treat is. Kosher means real meat, no "other stuff," no things that end up on the bottom of the slaughter house with no other purpose. Kosher it is, since I can get behind the idea that sneaking entrails and reproductive parts into someone’s dinner is immoral. So maybe I’m a little Jewish. But only when hot dogs are around.

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Beer Chili Party Dogs

Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tablespoon 22g olive oil
  • 1 cup 125g yellow onions, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 lbs beef 80% lean/20% fat
  • 1 cup 8 fl oz stout beer
  • 6 oz tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon 12g Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 teaspoon 12g red chili sauce (such as sriracha)
  • 2 teaspoon 4g chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon 1g smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon 6gsalt
  • 1 teaspoon 2g pepper
  • 1 teaspoon 2g cumin
  • 8 Kosher hot dogs precooked, do not use raw
  • 8 hot dog buns
  • 4 wt oz cheddar cheese shredded
  • 1 avocado diced
  • ¼ cup 8g cilantro, chopped

Instructions
 

  • Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium high heat. Add the onions, cooking until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic.
  • Add the beef, cooking until browned, stirring and breaking it up as it cooks.
  • Stir in the beer, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, chili sauce, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, pepper and cumin. Cook until slightly thickened, remove from heat.
  • Preheat the broiler.
  • Open the hot dog buns and lay flat, cut side up, on a baking sheet. Place under broiler until lightly toasted (this will help the buns to not get soggy once the chili dog sauce is added). Remove from oven, lower heat to 400F.
  • Place the buns in a long row down the center of the pan. Add a hot dog to each bun, top with chili sauce. Sprinkle the hot dogs with cheese.
  • Return to the center rack in the oven, cooking until the cheese has melted and the hot dogs are warmed through.
  • Remove from oven, sprinkle with avocado and cilantro.

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Chili Beer Chicken Tacos with Pineapple Salsa + Best Summer Beer Tub Beers

20 minute dinner: Chili Beer Chicken Tacos with Pineapple Salsa

Chili Beer Chicken Tacos with Pineapple Salsa1

Stocking a beer tub for a summer party is as important as planning the food. Beer sets a tone and fuels conversation.  It’s as much about offering your friends their favorites as it is about introducing them to new ones.

 When planning the brew menu keep in mind the types of drinkers you’ve invited as well as how far you want to push their palates. Offer your guests safe choices, slight pushes in new directions, and a few more extravagant options for the fearless few who want to try something new.

Keep in mind that while you may be drawn to the bold punch of a triple IPA, don’t forget that long summer parties pair better with lower alcohol session ales to keep your guests (or yourself) from becoming a cautionary tale or a viral YouTube video. Keep most of your offerings below 6% ABV to help your guests stay in control.

Wheat beer: This is an important addition to your beer tub. The low hop profile is perfect for the "craft beer is too bitter" guy. Most wheat beer is very low on the bitterness scale and a common gateway for those new to craft beer. Wheat beer is also insanely drinkable and pairs easily with a wide array of foods.

Recommended: Allagash // White,  Bell’s // Poolside AleDogfish Head // Namaste , Widmer//Hefe, 21st Amendment // Hell or High Watermelon,

Pilsners: Pilsners are having a moment in the craft beer scene right now. Pilsners are about balance, no one ingredient takes center stage. They are hoppy but aren’t the hop bombing  IPA’s or the malt saturated Belgians on the other end of the spectrum. Pilsners are a crisp, drinkable introduction to hops with nice carbonation for summer drinking and burger eating. They are also the perfect way to show Macro Beer Guy that he might actually love a crisp refreshing beer that has a kick of flavor to it.

Recommended: North Coast // Scrimshaw, Breakside // Liquid SunshineVictory // Prima Pils

 Session IPA’s. Given that you’ll be the host for a mass beer consumption, you should be mindful of ABV. While many-a guest might scoff at the 4% brew, and feel a manly surge of testosterone when he cracks open a 12 % beast, you know he needs to get home intact. Session beer (beer that has less than 5% ABV) has so much flavor no one will miss the alcohol, or the obnoxious behavior as a result.

Recommended: Odell // Loose Leaf, Left Hand // Good Juju, Rogue // 4 Hop, Oskar Blues // Pinner, Fort George // Suicide Squeeze 

Classic Pale Ales. These are the standards, the beers that got us into craft beer. The ones that make us nostalgic and are easy to share. It’s hard to fill a tub without a few of these in the mix.

Recommended: Sierra Nevada // Pale Ale, Stone // Pale Ale, Oskar Blues // Dales Pale Ale

Sour & Wild Ales. Love ’em or hate ’em, sours are part of the conversation and a rapidly growing style in today’s craft beer market. Grab a few for your guests, you’ll never know who is going to love them, maybe even you.

Recommended: Odell // Brombeere Blackberry Gose, New Glarus // Raspberry Tart, Anderson Valley // Blood Orange Gose,

Chili Beer Chicken Tacos with Pineapple Salsa2

 

Chili Beer Chicken Tacos with Pineapple Salsa

Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ¼ cup 36g chopped white onion
  • 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 teaspoon 6g salt
  • 2 teaspoons 6g chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon 3g garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon 3g onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon 3g cumin
  • ½ teaspoon 1g smoked paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon 0.5g cayenne powder
  • 12 ounces wheat beer or summer ale (not too hoppy)
  • 1 cup chopped pineapple
  • ¼ cup chopped red onion
  • 1 jalapeno chopped
  • ¼ cup chopped cilantro
  • pinch salt
  • ½ tsp red chili sauce
  • juice from ½ lime
  • 12 Good quality corn tortillas

Instructions
 

  • Add the olive oil to a pan over medium high heat. Cook the onions until starting to brown.
  • Sprinkle the chicken breast on all sides with salt. Add to the pan, cook on both sides until seared. Sprinkle chicken chili powder, onion powder, cumin, and cayenne. Add the beer, bring to a simmer, reduce heat to maintain a simmer (do not boil). Cover with a lid, allow to simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 8 minutes.
  • Remove chicken from the pan, shred using two forks. Return the chicken to the pan, allow to simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from pan, add to a serving platter.
  • In a serving bowl add the pineapple, jalapenos, cilantro, salt, chili sauce and lime juice, stir to combine.
  • Serve the chicken in the tortillas, topped with the salsa.

Chili Beer Chicken Tacos with Pineapple Salsa4

Beer Steamer Clam Linguini

15 Minute Dinner: Beer Steamer Clam Linguini

Beer Steamer Clam Linguini1

I’m on a layover in Salt Lake right now, in an airport bar resisting the urge to hair-of-the-dog my way out of sleep deprivation and a small sprinkling of a hangover. I’m going to tell you something that will make you think I’m crazy, but I already rolled that dice when I told about the time I decided to be a vacuum salesman and that time I assaulted a waiter in Spain: I like layovers. I like the energy, this mix of people, the contentment of knowing there isn’t a lot expected of me at this moment, the brief pause in a day otherwise filled with travel, the calm before I get back home and jump back into my life. I look at the faces of the other travelers and wonder if we’d have been friends if we’d ever really met. I wonder if we’ve ever been in the same place before this, or if we ever will again.

I made a decision two years ago—in the midst of the biggest personal crisis of my life— to figure out how to enjoy my time instead of "kill time". The last thing I need to do is go around killin' the moments of my life that don’t please me as much as I’d hoped, and then later complain when it goes by too fast. Maybe all moments aren’t amazing, or even traditionally enjoyable, but as my theory goes: if you can figure out how to enjoy a layover then just maybe those great moments will be even better. Maybe not. But at least I’m not just going' around killing off moments in the prime of my life.

Beer Steamer Clam Linguini3

Beer Steamer Clam Linguini

Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • ¼ cup 56g unsalted butter
  • 1 shallot chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon 1g crushed red pepper
  • 1 cup 80z wheat beer
  • 1 lbs clams Little Neck or Manila
  • 1 lbs linguini pasta
  • ¼ cup chopped Italian parsley

Instructions
 

  • Melt the butter in a large saucepan with a lid.
  • Add the shallots, cooking until just starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and the red pepper.
  • Stir in the beer, bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the clams, cover and cook until most of the clams have opened, about 6 minutes. Discard any clams that have not opened.
  • If using dried pasta, cook until just before al dente, about 6 minutes. Add to the clam pan, stirring until combined, cover and cook until cooked through.
  • If using fresh pasta, add the pasta directly into the clam pan without par cooking, cover and cook until pasta is cooked, about 4 minutes.
  • Plate the pasta, sprinkle with parsley.

Beer Steamer Clam Linguini2

Chicken in a Creamy Parmesan Bacon Beer Sauce

One pot, thirty minutes: Chicken in a Creamy Parmesan Bacon Beer Sauce

One Pot, Thirty Minutes Chicken in a Creamy Bacon Beer Sauce

"It’s because you’re entitled!"

I heard the agent at customs yell through the window. She spits her words at an English woman in front of me, waking up the weary crowd in line to enter Stockholm. I was running on the fumes of two hours of sleep (because of this), and the outburst shook the grip exhaustion had on my brain.

"You have an expired visa, an expired passport, and a warrant! I’m not letting you into the country!"

Seemed startlingly angry for such a passive country. The woman fought back, her words getting lost in the commotion of the airport. Two minutes later guards came to escort her to wherever it is that you take an entitled English woman without proper documentation.

One Pot, Thirty Minutes Chicken in a Creamy Bacon Beer Sauce

There was, I guess, a relief. That she wasn’t American, that her brash self-importance didn’t speak for me. Relief that it was my turn. And I defaulted, as I do, to an overly nice and accommodating tone as a way to apologize for the previous interaction the agent was asked to endure. I’m sorry, I won’t give you any trouble, all my paperwork is in order, I want my smile to speak at her.

I move on, through the airport, past my short layover, trudging through the waist-high mud of exhaustion and jet lag. Three hours down, 15 more to go before I’m home. And even longer before I can cook again. It’s really the only thing I miss when I travel. I miss cooking. I miss my kitchen. I miss making food and losing myself in the process of it all. Before I get back to the kitchen I’ll need to endure another day of travel, and another customs line. Possibly smile-apologizing for an actual American to another Customs agent.

When I get home, I’ll make chicken the way I do when I want it to taste like comfort, in a cast iron pan with a creamy sauce.

One Pot, Thirty Minutes Chicken in a Creamy Bacon Beer Sauce

Chicken in a Creamy Parmesan Bacon Beer Sauce

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 4 chicken thighs
  • 1 teaspoon 6g salt
  • 1 teaspoon 3g pepper
  • 3 strips of bacon chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon 28g flour
  • ½ cup 4oz pale ale
  • ¾ cup 180mL heavy cream
  • ½ cup 53g shaved parmesan
  • 6-8 large basil leaves ribboned

Instructions
 

  • Sprinkle the chicken on all sides with salt and pepper. Place skin side down in a cold cast iron skillet. Place over medium high heat until the skin has browned, turn over and cook until chicken is cooked through. Remove from skillet.
  • Add the bacon to skillet, cooking until crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon.
  • Pour out most of the fat in the pan, leaving about 1 tablespoon still in it.
  • Stir in the garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds, sprinkle with flour stirring until the flour has been cooked, about 1 minute. Pour in the beer, scraping to deglaze the pan. Add the cream and reduce heat to medium.
  • A hand full at a time stir in the cheese until well combined.
  • Add the chicken back into the pan, cooking until chicken is warmed.
  • Sprinkle with crispy bacon and basil. Serve immediately.

Mushroom Stuffed Hoisin Stout Glazed Chicken Thighs

Mushroom Stuffed Hoisin Stout Glazed Chicken Thighs

Mushroom Stuffed Hoisin Stout Glazed Chicken Thighs1

It can be suffocating, really.

This urge that has had a hold of me for so many years to please the people. A strangling grip on my throat that kept any words of disappointment from slipping out. Why is this? Why is someone else happiness (especially strangers) prioritized so far above my own? And how do we pair the idea of standing up for ourselves with the idea that we are selfish?

I wondered this because it seems to be slipping away from me like the shedding of dead skin. Thank God. I’m still overly accommodating, I still can’t put my needs above others, but I’m more able to speak the words that I know will disappoint someone else.

Here’s my case in point. Food related, of course. I was recently at a Portland restaurant with a gorgeous companion enjoying what had been touted as the best steak in Oregon. The price was easily twice what I’d ever paid in the past. Which, I assumed was worth the cost. The dry-aged hunk of meat set before me with a huge smile from the server, she was almost gleeful that I’d ordered it.

And it was…fine. Definitely overcooked, the medium-rare that I wanted was closer to medium-well and it tasted under seasoned. When she came back to ask how my meal was and bask in the glow of my praise for the Best Steak Ever, I had a small urge to give her what she was looking for. This is my thing. I want to make people happy. And since I couldn’t make her a pizza and some cookies, I had the urge to just tell her what she wanted to hear.

"It was ok," I said instead.

Her face fell as if she’d cooked it herself. "……oh. I’ve never heard that."

"It was ok. It wasn’t bad, it was just a bit overcooked and definitely under seasoned. But I have a high bar, I eat a lot of really good steaks." She stood for a second, frozen. She wasn’t sure how to respond.

I resisted the urge to make it better, cover it up. I just made myself sit in that moment, letting her be disappointed. I wanted to tell her how much I liked the other dishes, or compliment her shoes, or tell her that the beer was great. But I didn’t.

And I survived. And so did she.

Maybe it’s a small step. But us people pleasers have to start somewhere. And just sitting in the moment of disappointing someone and learning that we will all survive is a good place to begin.

And then I consoled myself with doughnuts. So maybe I still have some more work to do.

Mushroom Stuffed Hoisin Stout Glazed Chicken Thighs4

Mushroom Stuffed Hoisin Stout Glazed Chicken Thighs

Servings 4 -6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tablespoon 12g olive oil
  • ½ cup 80g chopped sweet white onion
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 8 wt oz crimini mushrooms chopped (3 ½ cups)
  • 1 teaspoon 3g salt
  • 1 tsp 3g black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon 8g flour
  • ½ cup stout beer plus 1 tablespoons, divided
  • 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • ¼ cup 78g hoisin sauce

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350F.
  • Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the onions, cooking until starting to brown. Stir in the garlic, mushrooms, salt and pepper.
  • Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are dark and softened, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with flour, stirring for about 30 seconds.
  • Add ½ cup beer, cooking until the beer is gone, about 15 minutes.
  • Lay the chicken thighs on a flat surface. Trim away any excess fat. Cover with plastic wrap, pound to an even thickness with a meat mallet, rolling pin or heavy skillet.
  • Add one to two tablespoons of filling to the center of the chicken thighs, roll into a log.
  • Gently transfer chicken to a baking dish, seam side down.
  • In a small bowl stir together the hoisin sauce and remaining tablespoon beer.
  • Brush the chicken with sauce, bake for 15 minutes, re-brush with sauce and continue to bake until chicken is cooked through, about 10 additional minutes.

Mushroom Stuffed Hoisin Stout Glazed Chicken Thighs2

Stout French Onion Soup Beef Sandwiches

Stout French Onion Soup Beef Sandwiches

Stout French Onion Soup Beef Sandwiches1

I stick my finger in a hole in the side of the plane the size and shape of a bullet hole.

The fact that it’s on the  inside wall of the plane, from my seat somewhere in the middle of the tiny South American airliner, that causes the worry. Although it isn’t even close to what worries me the most right now. I’ve been stuck on the airplane for more than an hour, locked inside the metal tube on the tarmac, and the air conditioner isn’t working. It’s over 110F degrees and I’m starting to panic. The baby in the front of the plane has stopped crying, which also worries me. The sun starts to peak out from behind the clouds that have served as a barrier between the metal trap and the sun. The temperature noticeably rises and I wonder how hot it can get before people start to pass out.

A voice comes over the intercom. Even if I did speak Spanish, I still can’t make out a word. A man behind me translates, "Lunch break?! Air traffic control took a lunch break and THAT’S why we can’t leave?!" Awesome.

Ten minutes later the plane starts to move, a few laps around the tiny airport and we are finally airborne. Twenty minutes after that the high altitude finally cools the plane to a more comfortable 80F degrees. Less than an hour later we land in a small island town off the coast of Panama.

We’ve made it. I’m both relieved for the arrival and embarrassed for all the "what if’s" that I allowed to run rampant in my brain. Three days later, after an absolutely incredible weekend, I’m back at the airport. Back at an airport so tiny the "baggage claim" is just two guys who line the bags up on the sidewalk, let a drug-sniffing dog check them out, and then hand the bags out to passengers one by one. 36 hours, three cities and five airports later, I’m back in Seattle. And it’s cold. I want comfort food. Mostly to console myself because I’m no longer here. So I made these, and they did the trick. Even if I had the urge to serve them with a side of plantain chips.

Stout French Onion Soup Beef Sandwiches2

Stout French Onion Soup Beef Sandwiches

Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

For the beef:

  • 2 tsp 12g kosher salt
  • 1 tsp 2g black pepper
  • 1 tsp 5g garlic powder
  • ½ tsp 2g onion powder
  • ½ tsp 1g smoked paprika
  • 3.5 lbs beef chuck roast
  • 1 tbs 13g olive oil
  • 12 ounces stout or porter beer

For the onions:

  • 2 lbs 3 large sweet white onions, sliced thinly
  • 3 tbs 42g unsalted butter
  • 1 cup 8 oz porter or stout beer
  • ½ cup 4 oz beef broth

For the sandwiches:

  • 6 French rolls or 12 slider rolls
  • 12 slices provolone cheese

Instructions
 

  • In a small bowl stir together the salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and smoked paprika. Rub the roast on all sides with the spice mixture.
  • Preheat the oven to 325°F.
  • Heat the olive oil in a large, oven safe, Dutch oven or pot. Sear the meat on all sided. Add 12 ounces of beer, cover and transfer to the oven.
  • Roast until fork tender, turning the meat over once or twice during cooking, about three hours. Once the meat is cooked, shred in the pot, allowing the meat to sit in the braising liquid for at least 10 minutes.
  • While the meat cooks, make the onions. Add the sliced onions and butter to a pot over medium/low heat. Cook until the onions have softened and started to brown, about 20 minutes (do not cook over too-high heat or the onions will burn before they caramelize).
  • Add the beer and the broth, allowing to cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is almost gone and the onions are a dark brown, about 1 hour.
  • Once the meat and onions are done, preheat the broiler.
  • Lay the rolls on a baking sheet. Fill with meat, top with onions and then add a slice or two of cheese. Place under the broiler until cheese has melted, serve warm.

Notes

These are best made a day ahead of time. Make the meat and onions, store in separate containers in the fridge, and assemble and broil to serve.
To save uneaten sandwiches, wrap in parchment paper, then place in a ziplock bag. Refrigerate for up to three days. Unwrap the sandwiches, place on a baking sheet and place in a 300F oven for 10-15 minutes or until warmed through.

Stout French Onion Soup Beef Sandwiches3

Grilled Beer and Brown Sugar Wings

Grilled Beer and Brown Sugar Wings

Grilled Beer and Brown Sugar Wings1

 Food people mark the seasons in a different way.

Sure, plant people mark it by what to plant when, and what to prune, what to seed. Fashion people pin the crap out of new wardrobes. The acting crowd doesn’t have weather seasons, they have "pilot season," "award season," "I-hope-my-show-doesn’t-get-canceled season." We all have our things.

Beer and food follow similar patterns. For beer people, we have: "session ale season," "wet hop beer season", "barrel aged beer season," and "fruit beer season."

Grilled Beer and Brown Sugar Wings4

Food seasons, although weather dependent in most ways, hinge on what we can cook. Sure, you can grill in 10-degree weather, knee deep in snow, but the first time you can do it in flip-flops and a tank top is moment-marker in the year. The first tomatoes of the year that’s grown in the ground remind you of how incredible they really taste when not grown in a greenhouse in New Jersey. The blood oranges leave the store just the peaches start to peek their heads out. It’s thrilling.

Maybe it’s because there are so few connections we have to the many, many generations before us. Sure, our survival is no longer dependent on an early spring, but the feeling of excitement when the first flowers bloom and fruit starts to ripen on wild trees is something that won’t ever see an end.

Grilled Beer and Brown Sugar Wings2

Grilled Beer and Brown Sugar Wings

Servings 4 -6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 lbs chicken wings
  • 2 tbs 36g kosher salt
  • 24 ounces stout beer
  • 1 cup 148g golden brown sugar, packed
  • ¼ cup 68g Dijon mustard
  • ¼ cup 64g stout beer
  • 1 tbs 12g sriracha chili sauce

Instructions
 

  • Lay the wings in an even layer in a baking dish. Sprinkle on all sides with salt. Pour the beer over the chicken until submerged (if chicken isn’t submerged add additional beer, cold water or chicken broth until just submerged). Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 6 hours.
  • Remove chicken from brine, rinse well, lay on a stack of paper towels covered by additional paper towels to dry. Allow chicken to dry for 15 minutes.
  • Preheat the grill to medium high.
  • Stir together the remaining ingredients.
  • Brush the chicken with the glaze until well coated.
  • Grill the wings on all sides until cooked through, brushing with the glaze while the chicken cooks.

Beer Brined Rotisserie Spiced Chicken Legs

Beer Brined Rotisserie Spiced Chicken Legs

Beer Brined rotisserie Spiced Chicken Legs1

I spent a few years resenting chicken.

Not chicken in general, beer can chicken. Mostly because when people found out that I cooked with beer for a living, that was the first recipe they thought of. "Like….beer can chicken?" Um, yeah. Or Beer Brined Duck with Stout Pomegranate Sauce and Belgian Ale Sweet Potato Mash.

Over the years, I’ve gotten over it. The truth is, it was my issue. Not theirs, not the chickens, but mine. I was so bent towards pushing the idea of cooking with beer into the space that wine occupies that I lost sight of the fact that beer can chicken is pretty damn good. Not to mention the fact that it’s more accessible than most wine dishes, and it highlights one of the main reasons to cook with beer: it makes poultry taste fantastic.

When people ask me what my go-to cooking with beer recipe is, I always talk about poultry. I decided that it was time to put pen to digital paper and show the world that cooking with beer isn’t JUST beer can chicken, it is ALSO beer can chicken. After all, you can make any wine dish with beer but wine can chicken just isn’t the same.

Get the recipe for Beeroness Beer Can Chicken on eHow

Beer Brined rotisserie Spiced Chicken Legs3

Beer Brined Rotisserie Spiced Chicken Legs

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 lbs chicken drumsticks or wings
  • 2 tbs kosher salt
  • 12 ounces wheat beer
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 2 tsp baking powder this will help crisp the skin
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • ½ tsp chili powder
  • 1 ½ tsp brown sugar

Instructions
 

  • Place the chicken in a large bowl or baking dish. Sprinkle on all sides with kosher salt. Pour the beer over the chicken until submerged (adding additional beer or water to submerge the chicken).
  • Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour and up to 12.
  • Preheat the oven to 250.
  • In a small bowl stir together the paprika, baking powder, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, 1 tsp salt, chili powder and brown sugar.
  • Remove the chicken from the brine, rinse well and pat dry.
  • Place a wire rack over a baking sheet, spray with cooking spray.
  • Rub the chicken on all sides with the spice mixture, add to prepared pan.
  • Bake at 250 in the bottom half of the oven for 30 minutes. Move the chicken to the top half of the oven and bake at 450 for an additional 30 minutes or until cooked through.*

Notes

Although the timing of this recipe sounds like it's too long, it isn't The recipe was adapted from America's Test Kitchen and always yields perfect results. The first 30 minutes is just meant to render fat, not cook the chicken. The second 30 minutes cooks the meat and browns the skin. The baking powder in the recipe helps draw out moisture and crips the skin.

Beer Brined rotisserie Spiced Chicken Legs4

Bacon Beer Shrimp with Beer Cheese Grits

Bacon Beer Shrimp with Beer Cheese Grits

Bacon Beer Shrimp with Beer Cheese Grits2

 Every few months I find myself here.

In a brewery, doing my best to learn how to turn what some see as an ugly industrial space with bad lighting into beautiful photos. Mostly, I’m a self-taught photographer. I took classes, read books, watched a decades worth of YouTube videos, sat in online workshops, and even joined an online photo mentorship group. But I always feel behind, always feel like I’m not quite there.

Hellbent100

I’ve often wondered if I’ll ever be where I want, if "arriving" in a creative sense even exists. I’ve worried that I’ll never be able to give people the images I want to shoot. But I’ve never once thought about giving up. Not once.

Bacon Beer Shrimp with Beer Cheese Grits4

It’s easy to get pulled into the undertow of comparison. It’s easy to see more clearly how far we have to go rather than the long road we’ve already traveled. In those moments I tell myself, "Keep your head down and keep going." It works. It moves me forward. I get closer all the time to the place I want to be.

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At the end of the day, that’s all we have. We have the ability to move forward, to drive closer to the life we want and the people we want to be. Perfection is a dangerous myth that robs us of contentment. Let’s just be able to sit here, in the gratitude that we are moving forward.

Let’s take a few minutes each week, grab a beer, grab some food, and just be content. Harder than it sounds, but we can do. Even if we need a few beers first.

Bacon Beer Shrimp with Beer Cheese Grits3

Bacon Beer Shrimp with Beer Cheese Grits

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

For the grits:

  • 12 ounces wheat beer
  • 2 cups water plus additional
  • 1 cup yellow grits not instant
  • 1 ½ cups grated sharp cheddar
  • 2 tbs unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper

For the shrimp:

  • 4 strips thick cut bacon chopped
  • 2 tbs unsalted butter
  • 1 lbs raw shrimp peeled and deveined
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • ¼ tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp chili powder
  • ¼ cup wheat beer
  • 2 tbs chopped chives

Instructions
 

  • In a large pot over medium heat add the beer and 2 cups of warm water. Bring to a simmer and slowly add the grits. Cook over a low simmer, stirring occasionally, until thick and tender. Add water ¼ cup at a time when the grits begin to dry out.
  • Once the grits are cooked stir in the cheddar, butter, cream, salt and pepper.
  • Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat (don’t turn the heat too high, medium heat will render more fat than high heat) until the bacon is crispy. Remove the bacon, set aside. Pour off all the bacon fat except about 1 tablespoon. Return pan to heat, melt the butter in the skillet.
  • Add the shrimp and spices, toss to coat. Pour in the beer, cooking until shrimp are cooked through, about 5 minutes.
  • Add the grits to serving bowls, top with shrimp, bacon and chives.